Tag: ethical dilemmas

As I’ve mentioned before, 2000 AD is a weekly comic paper with a speculative fiction bent that’s been published in Britain for over forty years. It keeps up the schedule by featuring several short stories in each issue, most of them serialized. A while back I c came into possession of the March 2017 issues, which seems like a good chunk to look over.

“Judge Dredd” has been a headliner in the magazine since the second issue, and stories set in the dystopian future of Mega-City One are in almost every issue. We start with a two-parter titled “Thick Skin” written by T.C. Eglington with art by Boo Cook. Two vid stars have their skin slough off on camera in separate instances. Coincidence? Plague? Terrorist plot? It’s up to lawman Judge Dredd to investigate.

This is followed up by “The Grundy Bunch” by Arthur Wyatt and Tom Foster. A family/cult that worships “Grud and Guns” has taken over one of the few remaining green spots in the city. Despite the topical overtones, the story turns out to be a setup for a terrible pun.

“Get Jerry Sing” is by classic Judge Dredd team John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra. The title phrase is a bit of graffiti that’s been appearing all over the city. What it means is a mystery, but pop star Jerry Sing isn’t happy about being a target. This one has a karmic twist ending that brought a dark chuckle from me.

Lastly, there’s the first part of a longer story, “Harvey” by John Wagner and John McCrea. The Day of Chaos and subsequent disasters have left the Judges severely understaffed, and it will be a while before they can train new human ones. So there’s a renewed interest in the robot Judge program, Mechanismo. Previous experiments with the artificial intelligences have proved disastrous, but this time, the Tek-Judges think they’ve cracked the problems with earlier models. Judge Dredd is asked to take on “Judge Harvey” as a trainee, to see if this time robot cops are finally viable.

The “Sinister Dexter” series is about Ramone Dexter and Finnegan Sinister, a pair of gunsharks (hitmen) who live in the city of Downlode. Due to shenanigans involving alternate Earths, the pair have managed to get themselves erased from human and computer memory, and are slowly re-establishing their reputations without the baggage of the past. They’re inspired by the hitmen from Pulp Fiction, but now bear little resemblance to them.

We have three stories in this group by Dan Abnett and Steve Yeowell. First, the robotic security system for their new apartment building decides that Sinister and Dexter are a threat to the tenants. A threat that must be eliminated. The second story is from the point of view of the bartender at their favorite watering hole. He doesn’t remember their previous interactions, but does know there’s something odd about the pair. And finally, there’s a new hitman in town, who calls himself “the Devil.” And his killing skills do seem…supernatural.

I find these characters smarmy and unlikable, but this sort of “not quite as bad guys” protagonist is popular with a segment of the readership.

“Kingmaker” by Ian Edginton and Leigh Gallagher is a newer serial. A fantasy world was having its own problems dealing with a wraith king, when suddenly technologically advanced aliens invaded. An elderly wizard, a dryad, and an orkish warrior riding dragons are beset by alien pursuers. When they finally defeat this batch of invaders by seeming divine intervention, the trio realizes they may already have found the chosen one.

Cyrano de Bergerac is the narrator of “The Order” by Kek-W and John Burns. On his deathbed, the boastful writer tells of his experiences with the title organization, which does battle with beings known as the Wyrm. Time has come unglued due to the latest Wyrm incursion, and a mechanical man from a possible future might or might not be the key to victory. The Wyrm are driven back, but at a cost.

“Kingdom” by Dan Abnett and Richard Elson is set on a future Earth where humanity as we know it has been all but wiped out by giant insects known as Them. The genetically-engineered dog soldier Gene the Hackman has finally found the “Kingdom”, haven of the last humans. Unfortunately, there are dark secrets in this supposed sanctuary, so Gene and his allies must strike even against the Masters.

“Brink” by Dan Abnett and INJ Culbard takes place in the late 21st Century after Earth had to be abandoned due to ecosystem collapse. Bridget Kurtis is an inspector for the Habitat Security Division. After the horrific death of her partner on the last case, Bridget is assigned to investigate mysterious suicides on a new habitat that’s reputed to be haunted…even though it’s still under construction.

The latest installment of “Scarlet Traces”, set in a world where H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds took place is by Ian Edginton & D’Israeli. Humanity’s history has been twisted by access to Martian technology. It’s now 1965, and the Martians are doing something to the sun. It may require allying with the Venusian refugees to thwart them. This is fascinating alternate Earth stuff.

“Cursed: The Fall of Deadworld” by Kek-W & Dave Kendall is set in the backstory of Judge Death, the lawman from an Earth where life is a crime and the penalty is death. Sydney D’eath has put himself in charge, twisting the world to fit his vision of a crime-free paradise. We follow Judge Fairfax, his sentient vehicle Byke, and the orphan Jess as they search for a haven. Doesn’t look good for them, frankly.

There’s also two “Future Shocks”, stand-alone shorts. “The Best Brain in the Galaxy” by Andrew Williamson & Tilen Javornik features a descendant of Horatio Hornblower who will do anything to win a competition to become captain of the most important starship voyage ever. Anything. “Family time” by Rory McConville and Nick Dyer is a parody of a certain Hollywood couple who like adopting children from around the world. Except that this version is adopting orphans from across time. The Child Protective Services are concerned that these children may not be orphans in the usual sense. I liked the first story better.

There’s also the short humor strip “Droid Life” by Cat Sullivan in a couple of issues, depicting life for the robotic staffers of 2000 AD. Plus Tharg’s editorials, and actual letters pages.

2000 AD stories tend to be on the violent side, and sometimes get quite gory. I didn’t see any nudity in these particular issues, but the comic doesn’t shy away from toplessness. Parents of preteens may want to vet these comics before giving them to their kids.

As always, it’s a mixed bag for quality, but the very nature of the magazine means that there’s always something different to look at if the current story displeases, and serials are rotated frequently. worth looking into if you can afford it.

Suppose for a moment that you had access to a device that would create an exact duplicate of any object placed inside. What would you do with it? Solve world hunger? Commit massive art fraud? Resolve your sexual attraction to your best friend’s wife? Yeah, that last one is the possibility we’re exploring here.

This 1949 novel is narrated by Dr. Harvey, one of the last old-fashioned country doctors in the village of Howdean. He’s very specifically not possessed of a full scientific education, and would never pass muster in today’s technically-oriented medical profession (indeed, he’s already having trouble keeping up when he’s in his forties!) But he is bright enough to realize that young Bill Leggett is a child prodigy.

Dr. Harvey acts as a mentor to the young genius as much as he can, and when Bill’s abusive and alcoholic father dies, gets himself appointed Bill’s guardian. He sponsors Bill’s further education, and secures the lad a scholarship to Cambridge. At university, Bill meets and becomes friends with Robin Heath, who as it turns out is the son of the lord of the shire Howdean is located in. Robin is much more conventional in his thinking than Bill, and not nearly as brilliant, but is a good steady problem-solver who complements Bill’s impatience well.

With a loan from Rob’s father, the two young men start a research laboratory (“the Dump”) together on the outskirts of Howdean. While they are pursuing their esoteric goals, Dr. Harvey is called upon to aid a young woman who’s taken a drug overdose. This is Lena, a beautiful (of course) lass with an artistic bent, a fervor for creation, and no noticeable artistic or musical spark. She can play other people’s compositions competently, and is good at art and color theory, but whenever she tries to create something new, the result is a fiasco. Thus her attempt at suicide.

Dr. Harvey realizes that Lena needs a completely new endeavor to distract her from fatalistic thoughts, and convinces Bill and Rob to take her on as a sort of housekeeper and general assistant. This works swimmingly. The young men both take a fancy to Lena, Bill’s soaring imagination and Rob’s common sense working together to restore her love of life, and her bright spirit (and a spot of much-needed cash) allowing the Reproducer to become functional.

Things go well for a while, with the Reproducer bringing the young scientists renown and steady paychecks. Dr. Harvey’s share of the enterprise even allows him to take early retirement from active medical practice. But just as Bill is ready to propose to Lena, Lena proposes to Rob, and the latter two get married.

Bill does not take this well, but he has a plan. He’s been working on a way to allow the Reproducer to duplicate living beings. If there were another Lena, then she could marry him and everything would be hunky-dory! Yeah. The obvious objections are raised, but the somewhat selfless Lena becomes convinced that her feelings of friendship for Bill could deepen into love given time.

So it is that a second Lena is created, named Dorothy, and marries Bill. Unfortunately, it turns out that Dorothy is too identical to Lena, and is unable to turn off her love for Rob, the man she remembers as her husband. She cares deeply for Bill, but the stress of pretending to love him is driving her to despair.

In a twist of fate, Bill blows himself and the Reproducer up with an attempt at creating a nuclear power plant, being just a little too impatient for Rob to return with a safety device. This leaves Dorothy free to reveal her true feelings, and Lena wants to share Rob with her as they have identical emotions. Unfortunately, Rob is very conventional when it comes to monogamy, and nixes the idea.

Sometime later, there is another accident, leaving one of the women dead and the other amnesiac, but which is which? Rob cannot love Dorothy, no matter how identical to Lena she might be. Dr. Harvey discovers a clue in Bill’s papers that should allow them to settle the matter one way or the other….

The good: Since the plot depends heavily on the personalities of the people involved, the characterization is much more in-depth than was common for science fiction novels of the time. The author makes it believable that the characters make decisions believing they will make things better, but instead make them worse.

Bill, as a survivor of childhood abuse, physical, emotional and (all but said outright) sexual, has difficulties forming normal social relationships. When he finds the one woman he wants to be with forever unavailable, it is unimaginable to him to find another love. This one was so hard to work up to! His impatience and willingness to overlook important social cues also play a large part in the tragedy.

Lena had a stage as a feral child, and has learned to make her own decisions, hide her feelings, and not ask for nor expect help. But she’s also very tender-hearted towards others, and willing to make any sacrifice for those she loves. Ditto for Dot.

Rob is very much the conventional English gentleman, which is great as long as there are conventional English gentleman things that need doing. He’s reliable and steady, and good husband material. But if there’s an ethical dilemma where his code of honor gives contradictory results, or it’s an unprecedented situation, Rob is at a total loss.

Dr. Harvey’s lack of science smarts means that the author can get away with never having to fully explain how the Reproducer actually works; just describing the end product, without having to worry about plausibility.

Not so good: Period sexism–it’s mentioned more than once that women just aren’t interested in science (always excepting Madame Curie), and Dr. Harvey believes that Lena’s creative impulse would be best put to use in making a family (i.e. children) and she comes to believe the same.

Also, some science fiction cliches: There’s only ever one Reproducer; Bill and Rob never patent it nor do they seem to publish any work explaining the principles behind it–one part is even revealed after the fact to be a “black box” that Bill installed without telling Rob how it worked or how to fix it. Yet they are able to make a decent living from renting out the use of the Reproducer without anyone trying to steal their work or having the government confiscate it or demand proof of concept.

And some readers are just not going to like the ending, telling you now.

Still, if tragic romance with a science fiction twist is your thing, I think this one is well worth seeking out.

The edition I read was the 1951 Galaxy Science Fiction reprint, which was done using the same presses as their monthly magazine. It’s unabridged, so has small type to fit it in the available page count, and the cover is glossy but flimsy. You might be able to find a paperback edition in better shape.

The novel was also turned into a 1953 movie by Hammer Studios, a precursor to the full-fledged horror films they were soon to move into. It simplified the ending somewhat, making it less ambiguous. Here’s a clip:

The city of Gujaareh worships Hananja, the goddess of dreams. Their entire culture is centered around the power of narcomancy to draw magical power from dreams to heal and perform other wonders. The most powerful of these “humors” is dreamblood, which is only produced by a person’s final dream. Thus a small group of holy men called the Gatherers are dispatched to bring gentle death to the aged and incurable–and sometimes those that would threaten the peace of the city.

Ehiru is considered the most skilled of the Gatherers, in much demand to bring surcease to the suffering. But his most recent Gathering has gone horribly wrong. He has condemned a man to eternal nightmare, and threatened his own sanity. Why, Ehiru is even seeing what looks like a Reaper, a mythical corruption of the Gatherers that has not existed for centuries.

Sunandi is the Voice of Kisua, an ambassador from that ancient land to Gujaareh. She is suspicious of the magic that pervades the entire city; to her euthanasia and assassination are evil. Sunandi is investigating the sudden death of her predecessor (and foster father) Kiran. Is the Sunset Prince of Gujaareh up to something even more sinister than she expected?

Nijiri is a faithful follower of Hananja, whose long loyalty and training are rewarded when he becomes a Gatherer-Apprentice under the tutelage of Ehiru, his personal hero. However, this is not an auspicious time to become a Gatherer, and Nijiri may end up having to do the unthinkable to remain true to his vows.

This fantasy novel is the first in the Dreamblood series by N.K. Jemisin, who recently won a Hugo Award for her book The Fifth Season. The geographical setting and other details are evocative of Ancient Egypt, but this is very much not Egypt, or even Earth, as is quickly made clear by the existence of the Dreaming Moon. Ms. Jemisin’s introductory note mentions that one of the difficulties was coming up with names that sounded right, but didn’t mean anything in Egyptian.

Many of the cultural details revolve around Gujaareh’s unique form of magic; for example, the equivalent of temple prostitutes don’t have sex with the worshipers, but instead guide them into erotic dreams from which healing “dreamseed” can be extracted. The Gatherers are central to this story; they have great power and special training, but must devote themselves to self-control–losing that control makes them vulnerable to becoming Reapers. Unfortunately, someone has found a way to pervert the system and use it for their own purposes. Peace is the will of Hananja, but whose definition of “peace” will it be?

There’s quite a bit of world-building, and it’s nice to see a fantasy setting based in ancient African civilizations. It’s also quite pleasant that it’s not “good vs. evil” as such, either. Gujaareh’s use of magic does a lot of good for its citizens, but Kisua’s worries about the ethical problems of narcomancy and the dangers of collecting dreamblood are not unjustified. Is denying a painless death to someone who cannot be cured of their constant pain who might live on for years yet unable to move worth holding to a principle? But if you allow this “good death”, who is there to stop all deaths that serve Hananja from being declared “good?”

Some of the characters fell a little flat for me, and a map would have been nice at a couple of points to make it clearer why certain journeys had to be made in a specific way. On the other hand, there’s a glossary, and in the paperback edition I read, there’s an “interview” of the author by the author that explains a great deal of the reasoning behind details of the setting.

Overall, this is an excellent book, well worth searching out if you’re looking for something different in your fantasy worlds.

In the mid-1960s, the Batman TV show was a huge hit not just in America, but also in Japan. As a tie-in, 8-Man creator Jiro Kuwata was hired to create a manga version of Batman for the local market. While the television show was more based on the late 1950s comic books, the research materials Mr. Kuwata were given were from the “New Look” period, which discarded many of the sillier elements that had been layered onto the franchise over the previous decade to make the Batman comic books as serious as you could expect in the Silver Age.

Thus, this manga has relatively little humor, focusing on Batman as a scientifically-trained detective. Robin is a bit irreverent, but not nearly as much of a wise-cracker as he was in the American comics. The serialized weekly format also changes the structure of the stories, which is more obvious in the plots that are lifted directly from the U.S. version.

The first story is an adaptation of the appearance of very minor villain Death-Man. For the manga version, his name was changed to Shinigamijin which would be literally translated back into English as “Death God Man”, so it’s rendered as “Lord Death-Man” instead. The villain’s gimmick is that each time he’s captured, he dies, then comes back to life and commits more crimes. This freaks Batman the heck out until he finally figures out the trick, and Lord Death-Man meets his final fate.

Oddly, there’s an appearance by a Flash villain, the Weather Wizard, renamed Go Go the Magician. This story demonstrates Batman’s skill at “prep time” setting up a plan to deal with Go Go’s weather control powers which would normally make the villain hard for a normal human to defeat.

The final storyline in this volume, “The Man Who Quit Being Human”, showcases how adaptation changes stories. Both versions feature the governor of whatever state it is that Gotham City is in discovering that he has a gene that allows for mutation. He agrees to undergo an experimental process to stimulate this gene to see what mutants will be like, so that if more show up, humanity will be ready. Unfortunately, it turns out that mutants are insanely powerful, implacably hostile to normal humans and will attempt to destroy humanity. Batman is regretfully forced to destroy the mutant (his code vs. killing does not apply to non-humans.)

The Japanese version gives the governor a daughter who also has the mutant gene. The scientific community debates what to do about this, and the consensus is that she, and by extension anyone else with the mutant gene, must be preemptively executed to prevent further evil mutants. Can our heroes find a way to spare her? This raises the stakes nicely.

The art is very 60s manga, and might take some getting used to for those used to modern art styles. There are a few pages where Mr. Kuwata obviously took a lot more time for detailed renderings; these are particularly effective.

This volume is recommended for Batman fans, and fans of 1960s superheroes in general. Note that some of this material has been previously been printed in a coffee-table sized book, which has a lot of extra information about the series and is highly recommended.